Changeable gearing.



No. 688,516.;7'. Patented Dec. l0, l90l.

' A. HARRIS. 4 GHANGEABLE GEA'RING:

(Application filed Apr. 12, 1900.)

(.No Model.) a 2 Sheets Sheet I.

jjwui. 0 JV 3 m O d m G .00 D 0 eV t. n B t a DI & R R A H A M m. 8 00 60 N CHANGEABLE GEARI NG.

(Application filed Apr. 12. 1900 2 Sheots Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

we poms 'rgw'ens 90.. wasmmmu n c.

' UNITED STAT S PATENT OFFICE.

MOSES ALBERT HARRIS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE H.-F.CONSTRUCTION COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF. WESTVIRGINIA.

CHANGEABLE GEARING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 688,516, dated December10, 1901.

Application filed April 12,1900. Serial No. 12,605. (No model.)

. To all whom it may concern."

Be it known that I, Mosns ALBERT HARRIS, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York, in the county and State of New York,

have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in ChangeableGearing, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to changeable gearing, and has for its objects toprovide such a gearing capable of operation while the machinery which itgoverns is in motion without injury to such machinery, to make suchgearing of a verysimple,strong,and effective construction and applicableto various mechanisms-such Figure l is a vertical central section oftheinvention; Fig. 2, a similar section taken at right angles to Fig. 1;Fig. 3, a detail end View of the clutch; Fig. 4:,a sectional view ofshifting-ring; Fig. 5, a side view of shiftingring and controlling-fork,and Fig. 6 a detail plan of locking-key.

Referring to the drawings, the gearing is shown as mounted in a frame A,having side standards or plates B, secured to the main part of the frameby screw-bolts D. Mounted in bearings C of the main frame is a mainshaft G, which is connected with and driven by any suitable powermechanism, as a motor, engine, or the pedals of a bicycle. Mountedloosely on this shaft at one end thereof is a transmission sleeve-shaftH, which may be connected by a sprocket-wheel and chain or othersuitable gearing to the machinery or vehicle to be driven. Atransmission gearwheel H is fixed to the shaft H within the frame.Mounted loosely on the shaft Gris a gear-wheel I, smaller than wheel H,provided with an inner recess Q, filled with felt soaked in oil forlubricating the shaft and keeping it clean. On a supplementaryfreely-running gear-shaft L, mounted in the frame, are fixedditferential gears L L, in continuous mesh with the gears H and I,respectively. Formed on the central part of the main shaft G, betweenthe gears H and I, is a set-collar or fixed sleeve K. This sleeve isprovided with two or more longitudinal keyways K, extending parallel tothe shaft for the whole length of the sleeve. A portion of the innercircumference of each gear-wheel H and I is cut away at its inner sideto fit over and re volve on the said sleeve or collar of the shaft. Inthese keyways are placed removable slidable clutch-keys K having roundedends 70 and a central lug or tooth is. The rounded ends of the keys areadapted tobe projected into and engage sockets K? in the gears I1 and I.Mounted loosely on the set-collar or sleeve K of the shaft is aclutch-shifting ring J. This ring does not rotate, but is capable ofmoving longitudinally on the shaft sleeve or collar. The ring isprovided with an internal annular recess or groove j, into which thelugs or teeth k of the keys project. On opposite sides the ring isprovided wit-h pins J, which are pivotally engaged by the sockets f of aforked frame or bifurcated lever F. This frame is hung on a rockingshaft F, journaled in a hanger E, secured to the main frame. Secured toone end of the rocking shaft F is a rocking-lever arm'O. This arm isprovided at its upper 'end with a vertical slot 0, through which extendsa pin N, fixed to a disk N. The disk N is fixed to the end of arotatable clutch-controlling shaft M, mounted in bearings in the frame.At the opposite end of shaft M an operating-lever P is secured.

Any suitable oil-casing in which the gearing is immersed or otherlubricating means may be employed. g

The operation of the device is as follows: The clutch mechanism is shownin the'drawings in mid-gear position, and when so placed the main shaftG and its motive power will be disconnected from the transmission-shaftH and the mechanism or vehicleto be driven. In this position of the gearthe engine or motor may be started without a load. To connect the mainshaft with the transmission-shaft to obtain the normal speed of thegearing, the lover I is rotated, which will turn the controllin g-shaf tM and rotate the disk N,whereby the disk-pin N, moving in the slot 0,will oscillate the arm 0 to the right, rocking the shaft F. The forkedframe 1 will be thereby rocked to the left, carrying the ring J also tothe left by its pivotal connection with the pins J thereof. The ring bythe engagement of its internal groove with the central lugs of the keyswill slide the keys over into engagement with the sockets K of thegear-wheel H, and thereby lock said gear-wheel to the shaft G. To obtainan increase in power with decreased speed for the purpose of ascendinggrades or for other heavy work, the lever P is rotated in the oppositedirection, which will shift the clutch-ring J to the right and carry thekeys into engagement with gear I, which by its engagement with gear L ofthe differential gear-wheel shaft will turn transmission-gear H with amultiplied power.

By having the collar or boss K project into an annular recess in theadjacent face of each gear-wheel, as shown in Fig. 1, the keys K areheld in place and prevented from being thrown outward by centrifugalforce or from falling outward as the main shaft goes around. The ring Jwill be held in the proper position to which it is moved, so as toprevent end thrust of the keys and the consequent added friction by thepin N being on a dead-center to the arm. The pin will be held inposition by the engagement of lever P with suitable stopnotches or otherengaging means. Should any keybecome broken, it can be readily removedand replaced by a new one.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is-,

1. In a changeable gearing, the combination with a frame, a main drivenshaft journaled in said frame, two differential gearwheels looselymounted on said main shaft, and provided with recesses therein, a bossor collar fast on said main shaft and projecting into the recess in eachof said gear-wheels,

' the said boss or collar being provided with a plurality oflongitudinal slots on the exterior thereof, diilerential gear-wheelsjournaled in said frame and meshing with the gear-wheels on the mainshaft, a plurality of keys mounted in said slots and of substantiallythe same length as the boss or collar, each of said keys being providedwith a lug projecting from the center thereof, a ring provided with aninner annular recess engaging all of said lugs, a clutch-lever connectedto said ring and means for rocking said clutch-lever and thus causingall of said keys to engage in the recess in one of the gear-wheels thuscausing the same to rotate with the main shaft, substantially asdescribed.

2. In a changeable gearing, the combination with a frame, a main drivenshaft journaled in said frame, two differential gearwheels looselymounted on said main shaft, and provided with recesses therein, a bossor collar fast on said main shaft and projecting into the recess in eachof said gear-wheels, the said boss or collar being provided with aplurality of longitudinal slots on the exterior thereof, difierentialgear-wheels journaled in said frame and meshing with the gear-wheels Ion the main shaft, a plurality of keys mounted in said slots and ofsubstantially the same length as the boss or collar, each of said keysbeing provided with a lug projecting from the center thereof, a ringprovided with an inner annular recess engaging all of said lugs, aclutch-lever connected to said ring and a handlever and rock-shaft forrocking said clutchlever and thus causing all of said keys to engage inthe recess in one of the gear-wheels thus causing the same to rotatewith the main shaft, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence oftwo Witnesses.

MOSES ALBERT HARRIS.

\Vitnesses:

JOHN J. LQRDAN, LoUIs T. NOONAN.

